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lakesandquarries's review
3.0
Beautifully written, very introspective, and not my personal cup of tea. I found it boring, but I did manage to finish it.
flying_monkeys's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
"When darkness fell she poured rivers of tears into the wood and soil and stone beneath her, a well of loneliness that felt as though it would never run dry."
The Memory Trees was most definitely my kinda book. Set in Vermont during summer. 16-year-old Sorrow grieves the loss of her only sister, Patience, and wrestles with the inability to remember the details of Patience's death some eight years earlier. Sorrow's relationship with her mother, Verity, is a fragile one, yet Sorrow knows she can't hide from her memories much longer nor is she completely ready to face the truth.
The magical realism in The Memory Trees is subtle and comes alive through Wallace's imagery. (You'll probably crave an apple or cider at least once.) I could feel the frost in July, smell all the green. Lush is the word that repeatedly comes to mind.
And I loved the flashbacks to the stories of the other women in Sorrow's family - yes, going back 12 generations, all the way to the Lovegood matriarch, Rejoice.
Recommended if you enjoy magical realism that centers a feud between two founding families of a small rural town, multiple generations of independent women dating back to the 18th century, women accused of being witches - only to stand up in the face of harassment and murder, and a hopeful if not a little bittersweet ending.
Also, if you liked Of Sorrow and Such by Angela Slatter or The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon, you'll probably enjoy this one.
So close to a perfect read!
4.5 stars
"Patience had understood something Sorrow had been too young to grasp: the stories were never just stories, and history was never only in the past. If they echoed loudly enough, those long-dead spites and long-buried hatreds, they weren't legacy but a cage--and she had wanted out."
The Memory Trees was most definitely my kinda book. Set in Vermont during summer. 16-year-old Sorrow grieves the loss of her only sister, Patience, and wrestles with the inability to remember the details of Patience's death some eight years earlier. Sorrow's relationship with her mother, Verity, is a fragile one, yet Sorrow knows she can't hide from her memories much longer nor is she completely ready to face the truth.
The magical realism in The Memory Trees is subtle and comes alive through Wallace's imagery. (You'll probably crave an apple or cider at least once.) I could feel the frost in July, smell all the green. Lush is the word that repeatedly comes to mind.
And I loved the flashbacks to the stories of the other women in Sorrow's family - yes, going back 12 generations, all the way to the Lovegood matriarch, Rejoice.
Recommended if you enjoy magical realism that centers a feud between two founding families of a small rural town, multiple generations of independent women dating back to the 18th century, women accused of being witches - only to stand up in the face of harassment and murder, and a hopeful if not a little bittersweet ending.
Also, if you liked Of Sorrow and Such by Angela Slatter or The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon, you'll probably enjoy this one.
So close to a perfect read!
4.5 stars
"Patience had understood something Sorrow had been too young to grasp: the stories were never just stories, and history was never only in the past. If they echoed loudly enough, those long-dead spites and long-buried hatreds, they weren't legacy but a cage--and she had wanted out."
writethruchaos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
3.0
booktans's review against another edition
2.0
Slow in the middle...mystery was a little predictable. Characters kind of unlikeable.
ladym23's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars I like the characters that Kali Wallace created, but the story its self-was really hard to get through and the only reason that I pushed through till the end is that I like Sorrow and I felt bad for her circumstances and everything everyone around her put her through. Other than that, this book is just a pretty cover.
alexperc_92's review against another edition
4.0
Second re-read for the blog tour by the Fantastic Flying Book Club!
I liked the book very much. There is an atmosphere of haunting magic and trees. Sorrow is a really well fleshed out character. Despite the slow pace of the book, I enjoyed the adventure and the mystery the book had. The storytelling is masterful and tragically so too!
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This was an enchanting read with an amazing diverse cast, realistic characters, and mystery! Totally recommended!
I liked the book very much. There is an atmosphere of haunting magic and trees. Sorrow is a really well fleshed out character. Despite the slow pace of the book, I enjoyed the adventure and the mystery the book had. The storytelling is masterful and tragically so too!
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This was an enchanting read with an amazing diverse cast, realistic characters, and mystery! Totally recommended!
getmealibrary's review against another edition
5.0
The Memory Trees
By Kali Wallace
Review: Christina Haynes
THE MEMORY TREES
KALI WALLACE
320
YA / FANTASY
Sypnosis:
A dark magical realism novel about a mysterious family legacy, a centuries-old feud, and a tragic loss that resurfaces when sixteen-year-old Sorrow returns to her mother’s family orchard for the summer.
Main characters:
– Sorrow
– Patience
Main events:
Sorrow returns home to Vermont where her mother and grandmother live. Sorrow’s sister Patience died when Sorrow was eight, but Sorrow can’t remember what happened or why.
There is history between the Lovegood’s (Sorrow’s family) and the Abrams (their neighbours) that goes back to the 17th Century. Family feuds and history what more can I say.
Most exciting part: There wasn’t an exciting part. But there was lots of great parts to the book.
My favourite part: I loved that the book went from past to present. That way you got to learn more about the Lovegood’s and Abrams.
My summary:
I started researching my family tree a few years ago and loved learning about the history, the characters and the photos within my family’s stories. This has been a big interest in my life and it made me love this book so much more. Because learning about families and how they wasn’t perfect helped me understand this book more and make it more personal to me.
Sorrow experiences the same feelings I did, she learns about her family and the feud with the Abrams. The book goes back to the 17th century to the first of the Lovegood’s and Abrams and you learn about how they started to hate eachother.
Sorrow also starts to remember more and more about her sister and how she died. She learns more about how her family are connected to the Abrams and realised the secrets that are kept are bigger than they thought.
My Review:
This book was beautiful written. The story was amazing and the characters were brilliant. The history elements within the plot turn this book into something more than just a story. It creates a world and a life within the pages and makes it so much more real than just words.
Rating:
5 ★ – AMAZING
By Kali Wallace
Review: Christina Haynes
THE MEMORY TREES
KALI WALLACE
320
YA / FANTASY
Sypnosis:
A dark magical realism novel about a mysterious family legacy, a centuries-old feud, and a tragic loss that resurfaces when sixteen-year-old Sorrow returns to her mother’s family orchard for the summer.
Main characters:
– Sorrow
– Patience
Main events:
Sorrow returns home to Vermont where her mother and grandmother live. Sorrow’s sister Patience died when Sorrow was eight, but Sorrow can’t remember what happened or why.
There is history between the Lovegood’s (Sorrow’s family) and the Abrams (their neighbours) that goes back to the 17th Century. Family feuds and history what more can I say.
Most exciting part: There wasn’t an exciting part. But there was lots of great parts to the book.
My favourite part: I loved that the book went from past to present. That way you got to learn more about the Lovegood’s and Abrams.
My summary:
I started researching my family tree a few years ago and loved learning about the history, the characters and the photos within my family’s stories. This has been a big interest in my life and it made me love this book so much more. Because learning about families and how they wasn’t perfect helped me understand this book more and make it more personal to me.
Sorrow experiences the same feelings I did, she learns about her family and the feud with the Abrams. The book goes back to the 17th century to the first of the Lovegood’s and Abrams and you learn about how they started to hate eachother.
Sorrow also starts to remember more and more about her sister and how she died. She learns more about how her family are connected to the Abrams and realised the secrets that are kept are bigger than they thought.
My Review:
This book was beautiful written. The story was amazing and the characters were brilliant. The history elements within the plot turn this book into something more than just a story. It creates a world and a life within the pages and makes it so much more real than just words.
Rating:
5 ★ – AMAZING
literaryjunarin's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
“She was carrying with her, the cold. She was holding on to that icy stone of grief. It had been there all along, sitting high in her chest, and with every step another fissure split through its middle-shivering over the orchard, frosting and melting, seasons flickering around her with the rhythm of her breaths, with the beat of her heart, she and the trees and the earth all part of the same creature.”
I took an interest in this book because of the magical realism aspect, however, there is very little magic here. The concept of a family feud twelve generations back is quite amusing, albeit a bit ridiculous.
This was a pretty good read although terribly slow at times. I wish it was shorter.
The writing redeemed the story, fortunately. The author made this very atmospheric and enchanting. Following the main character in her walks also felt like stepping into another world. I can praise the writing all day. Spellbinding.
I took an interest in this book because of the magical realism aspect, however, there is very little magic here. The concept of a family feud twelve generations back is quite amusing, albeit a bit ridiculous.
This was a pretty good read although terribly slow at times. I wish it was shorter.
The writing redeemed the story, fortunately. The author made this very atmospheric and enchanting. Following the main character in her walks also felt like stepping into another world. I can praise the writing all day. Spellbinding.
lilifane's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
So much about this book was unexpected. Even my rating in the end.
(I have just one question for the person responsible for this cover: Why?)
First of all, this was the second book I read this year taking place in a small town, with witchy vibes, an apple orchard, a family feud, a girl's death in the past... Just way more hard hitting with a focus on trauma and mental health rather than a romance. Now that I think about it, there wasn't really a romance plot here. So refreshing.
The setting and atmosphere were amazing, and I was super invested in the mystery. And then the emotions hit really hard. The character work is truly remarkable, so many flawed characters with their own stories and problems. Just thinking about the family dynamics and some of the scenes makes me want to cry again.
As always, please look up trigger/content warnings. There are quite a few.
(I have just one question for the person responsible for this cover: Why?)
First of all, this was the second book I read this year taking place in a small town, with witchy vibes, an apple orchard, a family feud, a girl's death in the past... Just way more hard hitting with a focus on trauma and mental health rather than a romance. Now that I think about it, there wasn't really a romance plot here. So refreshing.
The setting and atmosphere were amazing, and I was super invested in the mystery. And then the emotions hit really hard. The character work is truly remarkable, so many flawed characters with their own stories and problems. Just thinking about the family dynamics and some of the scenes makes me want to cry again.
As always, please look up trigger/content warnings. There are quite a few.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Eating disorder, Death, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Car accident, and Gun violence